Disclaimer: Resident Evil and everything associated with it is owned by
Capcom. All submitted characters are owned by their creators, and appear in
this story with the written permission of said creators. Anything that I
create for the purpose of enhancing the quality of this story in order to
draw in more readers and reviews is owned completely, entirely, 100% by me
(unless otherwise stated). Any similarities between anything in this work
and actual people, events, government organizations, and evil corporations
is strictly unintentional. Now on with the show.
Apologies: To Rhys D. He was the one who contributed the SOC's new assassin, as well as our new villaness, not Brian. Thanks again for the characters, and for being so kind as to point out areas in my fic that I needed to develop/clarify a little bit more. I'd also like to apologize for the way I introduced Serena; I think I could've done a much better job of it. She'll get an improved role in chapter 11. I didn't like her original intro that I had at all, changed it, saw the new one wasn't much better, and stopped caring. Chapter 10 sat on my PC finished except for about 150 words for three days (when I was helping to make the deck for our garage, at the football game, etc.), and at this point I just want it up. Next chapter will be better, I promise.
Author's Notes: Sorry about the long wait between chapters. School work, contrary to my expectations, hasn't settled down very much. I've also had Hurricane Isabel (we were one of less than 1/2 dozen local schools to stay open through it!) football games with the band, and a load of other activities cutting down on my writing time. This offered me two options (other than not writing any more, which would probably make me as upset as everyone else), to either drastically cut the size of my chapters, or slow down my writing and take more of a binge typing approach (late night and on the weekends). As you can tell I've gone for the latter, since I don't think it's fair to all of you if I started skimping on even more details than I have already. Enough of me talking about a load of crap. You've waited long enough for number 10, and here it is.
Operation Falling S.T.A.R.S.
Chapter 10: Aftershocks
Location unknown
August 17, 2001 11:15 PM
"No?"
"I'm sorry," John said as Matt looked disappointedly towards him.
"Why John?" Matt asked as John looked down at the ground, avoiding Matt's gaze. He waited for almost a half minute before answering.
"After hearing about the Nemesis IIIs, I believed I had enough information to go to my people with. We've been debating whether to aid you for almost two months, but unfortunately some unexpected events occurred that we weren't prepared for."
"Such as?" Matt asked, anxious to hear what was important enough to remove an ally from the war against Umbrella.
"Right now we're fighting an intergalactic two front war. Seventy two hours ago we were blindsided by some nasties from out of town. Came right up through the western spiral arm of the galaxy and started nailing our territory. We've been able to slow them down, but they have a huge beachhead on our turf. Three fourths of our entire military is operating against them as we speak. I would be with them, except we needed someone familiar with Earth to stay here and monitor the Umbrella situation. To top that off, our rival in this galaxy decided to launch a full offensive against us as well. We're caught in between both of them, but we're fighting them to a stalemate. I did my best, but we have no one to spare. We can't take on a third conflict now Matt. I'm being restricted to what I can do as well. One misstep, no matter how slight, could result in disaster for Earth. It's something that we just can't risk."
"Okay. I also want to tell you that Umbrella's developing another new series of bioweapons, called the Alpha Project. They're going to enhance the intelligence of their existing creatures, and create a new line of monsters," Matt said as John nodded.
"If things continue on the way they are now, I might be able to get some help here soon. In the mean time, I want to wish you luck," he replied.
"Thanks. Here's hoping we win," Matt said as he turned to walk away.
"Matt," John said before hesitating. Matt stopped walking as he waited for John to continue. "Keep your head down."
"I will," Matt said as the dreamlike conversation ended, and Matt woke up. He checked his alarm clock, and noticed that it was almost six in the morning. Melissa had already gotten up, and had wanted to make a trip out to the local supermarket early before heavy traffic appeared on the roads. He got cleaned up, pulled on some fresh clothes, and headed towards his truck. "I wonder what sort of fun activities today's going to bring," he muttered to himself as he started the engine and pulled out. It was just another day in the struggle against Umbrella.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Umbrella Incorporated Main Office
Paris, France
August 17, 2001 11:31 PM
"Mr. Walker, welcome back. You gave all of us quite a scare," Andrew Spencer said as Tom walked in to his office. Tom sat down in the seat facing Spencer's desk and waited for the screaming to begin. The door to the office swung shut, but Spencer remained motionless, as if contemplating his possible actions.
"You realize that you've ruined me," Spencer said as he leaned backward in his chair.
"How so?" Tom asked. "I didn't give them anything."
"Didn't you? Some of my more loyal employees were able to escape from Ontario, and told me a very interesting story. I've wondered since you were captured, how was it possible that the S.T.A.R.S. knew about not only our Alpha at the facility, but also the Nemesis III vaccines and the other defenses we had set up for them?" Spencer asked as he drummed his fingers on the arm of his office chair, waiting for Tom's response.
Tom knew that he had to be very careful. Making a single mistake would end up in his death, or worse. "The SOC interrogated me, and claimed to have information from someone inside the facility that was selling information to the highest bidder. They already knew about the Nemesis III vaccines, at least from what they asked me about them. I didn't tell them anything," he lied, hoping it would be good enough.
"We did happen to find someone who's loyalties were questionable, but we were unable to get any condemning information out of him before he had a fatal heart attack. It would seem that the Americans were able to acquire their information through this man, and managed to pass it on to the S.T.A.R.S. before they attacked. Your return to this corporation, however, is not nearly so simple as pointing fingers in the right direction. I've been contacted by several parties who are interested in buying our 'special' products, but we have a problem that needs to be dealt with; the SOC. I'm tired of their meddling in my business. I have a plan to take them out, but I need you to provide me all of the information that you possibly can about them. We'll consider it a down payment on your debt to me," Spencer said as Tom gave a sigh of relief on the inside.
"Of course my Lord. It would be my pleasure to be of assistance to you. What specifically would you like to know?" Tom replied as Spencer smiled.
"Their equipment intrigues me. Where does it come from? It's much more advanced than I expected them to have, even though the Americans are in love with their technological superiority above the rest of the world," he asked.
"They get their equipment from many different sources, but DefTek Industries is the primary supplier. They're a small defense contractor that's famous for making high-quality armaments for the government. Many of the U.S. military's next generation weapons and equipment will be made by them," Tom replied before continuing, "What are you going to use the information for?"
"Not yet, Mr. Walker. After I have all of the information I want, you'll find out, I promise. Now, what about funding?" Spencer said, brushing off Tom's question.
"Again, they get funded from many sources, including some that I'm not privy to. I do know they get money from the CIA, as well as the Defense Department." Tom said as he began to catch on to what Spencer's plan was. "What else would you like to know my Lord?"
"Everything. Personnel, addresses, mission histories, people who know it exists, whatever you know I want to," Spencer said as he patted a tape recorder with his hand.
"Might I say, you have an excellent plan Lord Spencer. The SOC will never expect you to do this. They won't dare attempt to bother us again," Tom said as he smiled, though not for the reasons Spencer thought. 'This very well might lead to Spencer's destruction,' he thought. "Now, where was I? The SOC is headed by Assistant Director Ian Williams, who has quite a bit of power in Washington. You already know that Matt Ryan has been appointed to the position I once held of Group 1 commander, and I suspect that Ian has also named him the acting field commander for the unit. I can't recall the names of any other Group commanders, nor do I remember actually meeting any of them. It seemed that none of the SOC commandos liked me very much. They didn't have much of a mission history before coming after us; they mostly did some light work on the ground in Afghanistan, and some consultations for anti-terrorist organizations in friendly countries. You'll like hearing this though. Both Presidents Clinton and Bush were cleared to receive reports about the organization, along with key members of Congress, the Department of Defense, CIA, and DefTek Industries. That's about all for a general description; even I wasn't cleared into everything."
"Trust me Mr. Walker, it will be more than satisfactory. Welcome back to the Umbrella Corporation. You have not only redeemed yourself, but impressed me. Now I must see what the best way to implement this plan will be. You are dismissed," Spencer said as Tom left the office as quickly as he could. He knew that things were about to get very bad, and didn't want to be around when Spencer's plan went into motion.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Headquarters
August 18, 2001 9:30 AM
"Anything happen while I was away?" Matt asked jokingly as several people in the room smiled. Everyone had heard of the ordeal he had gone through, and were encouraged by it. If Matt could remain optimistic even while enduring so much suffering, then they wouldn't give up hope even though they were greatly outnumbered by Umbrella.
"No sir," one of them replied. "Ian is en route to Washington as we speak, to talk to the President about getting the military involved against Umbrella. Our guest from DefTek hasn't arrived yet, nor has our new recruit. That's about it for the important stuff."
"Thanks George," Matt replied as he walked towards his office, hoping for another calm day.
"Sir," George called out before Matt could leave the command center, "We've received a transmission from the DefTek representative. He'll be arriving momentarily with the prototypes."
"Thanks again. Let's go see what Santa's brought for all of the good boys and girls fighting the evils created by the Umbrella Corporation. Clear out the firing range, and have Mark and Paul meet me in the vehicle bay," Matt said as he began to jog towards the bay himself. Right after he arrived, a small truck pulled into the bay, along with a second truck moments later. Both had already been scanned with thermal sensors and cleared by the guards at the security checkpoint, but two security teams were still on hand, along with people Matt couldn't see, he was sure.
"Mr. Ryan, it's a pleasure as always," a man in a dark gray suit said as he walked towards Matt with his hand extended.
"Mr. Westings, I'm glad to do business with you as always. Please, follow me to the firing range," Matt replied as he shook Westing's hand, and motioned towards the freight elevator in the back of the bay. Several technicians began wheeling hand trucks over to the trucks, before Westings interrupted them.
"Please, leave the two large crates in the trucks. They're to stay here until we're finished," he said as the technicians nodded.
"No time like the present," Matt suggested as Mark and Paul entered the bay.
"Okay then, we'll start with the big stuff. When Ian contacted me and said that you would be in the market for base defenses, I started my people developing something for you right away. These," he said as he opened the lids to the two crates, "are Specter 20mm cannons. They have a firing rate of about 1,200 rounds per minute, and can be controlled either by an operator at a remote location, or by an internal Identify Friend or Foe computer. As you know, our recent advances in microchip technology have allowed us to create an IFF system that is able to recognize friendly and enemy vehicles, along with personnel. Perfect to place in your roof, or the side walls to the vehicle bay. These models can even be concealed inside the walls and flip out at the push of a button. Now let's continue to the firing range, where I can show off some of our infantry weapons for you," Westings said as Matt smiled. The 20mm cannons would be a very helpful addition to the bay's defenses.
"Now believe me when I say that we're going to give you as much in the way of funding as we can," Matt said. "Thus far, this joint business venture has been profitable for both of us, and we would very much like to see it continue into the foreseeable future." They walked onto the elevator, which descended as soon as all of the equipment was onboard.
"It has been our pleasure to develop weapons and equipment that are going to help save American lives in the future. Any other benefits are strictly extras as far as we're concerned," Westings replied as Matt smiled. He knew that unlike some businesses, DefTek really did have the best interests of their customers, specifically the SOC at this point in time but most likely the entire U.S. military in the near future, at heart. They had bent over backwards to accommodate the SOC's requests, and had nearly gone bankrupt to do so.
"Let's see what we have today," Matt said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Everyone walked out into the firing range as the technicians unloaded the crates from the handtruck.
"Let's start off with the fun stuff," Westings said as he opened a large rectangular crate, and pulled out a hard plastic case. "When Ian asked us for portable anti-tank weaponry that wouldn't have to be reloaded immediately, we didn't think it could be done. Believe it or not, the inspiration for this weapon actually came from the movies. This is the Archangel," he added pulling a fairly large rifle out of the plastic case.
"It doesn't look like much to me," Mark said.
"And that would be the last thing the commander of a T-90 tank would say before getting knocked into the afterlife. This isn't just any old 5.56 or 7.62mm rifle my friends. This is a man-portable rail gun," Westings replied as Matt whistled. He took the railgun that Westings handed him, and gave it the once over. Even though it was fairly long, the gun was remarkably light.
"Does it have a magazine? What about noise levels? And rate of fire," he continued as he checked the weapon's sights with a precision that had taken years to develop.
"The magazine snaps into the top of the rifle here," Westings said as he pulled a clip out from the case and pushed it down through a slot in the top. "It fires aluminum slugs at a hypersonic velocity, and the internal magazine can hold eight shots before it needs to be reloaded. Its rate of fire is sixteen rounds per minute, give or take, depending on how fast you can reload and shoot. The problem is that the capacitors for the magnetic accelerator will overheat if the weapon is fired too often in a short period of time. Now, I know you're going to ask how it's powered, since the energy needed to generate a magnetic field strong enough to propel even this small slug at the speeds I mentioned would be incredibly high. It has an internal hydrogen fuel cell, which provides enough power to get off three or four shots by itself. The aluminum slug generates a massive amount of electricity as it travels down the barrel, which is absorbed and channeled into an internal Lithium battery, which is recharged after each shot. Of course, if one is handy, you can plug it into a wall outlet, but the charge-up time is much higher than just shooting it. Allow me to demonstrate," he continued as he walked over to one of the stations at the firing range. "This will also answer your question about the noise." He pointed the railgun downrange, towards a thick slab of steel that had been set up to test armor-piercing bullets. "I hope you don't have anything irreplaceable on the other side of that steel," Westings muttered as he slowly squeezed the trigger. Matt heard a slight whistling sound accompanying dozens of teal-colored rings which followed right behind the slug. "Let's see how she did," Westings said as he placed the railgun back in the crate and walked down towards the steel.
"We'll take it," Matt said once he arrived. The eight inch slab of steel had been completely penetrated by the aluminum slug, which maintained enough energy to continue down the range through a second six inch thick steel target, before lodging itself halfway through a third six inch thick target. "What else do you have, Mr. Westings?" Matt asked.
"A few different variations of grenades, some new body armor prototypes, and two new rifles," he replied. They walked back to the firing line, and Westings opened up another crate. "This is the F-1100 CIR, or Composite Infantry Rifle. We made several improvements to the original F- 1100 design, including an internal silencer for the 7.62mm section. We also attached a scope to the top, so you won't have to make do with modified rifles for the time being. We also upgraded the shotgun to accept magnum rounds. The second rifle is a bit nicer, in my opinion. This is the Mark 12 Special Operations Rifle. It's chambered in 7.62mm by default, just like the regular F-1100, but that's about where the similarities end. It has a modular rail on the bottom of the rifle, which is normally equipped with a 40mm grenade launcher. It can also fit a flare launcher, or a 20mm cannon like the Army's new SABR rifle. It's much lighter though, comes with an infrared scope and silencer, and has a folding stock which allows it to be fired like a submachine gun," Westings added.
"What do you mean by chambered in 7.62mm in default?" Matt asked as Westings smiled.
"Don't ask me how, I'm not even sure about the science behind it, but this rifle incorporates the first ever Universal barrel. What I mean to say is that it's capable of firing any bullet ranging from 9mm up to 7.62mm rounds, and silenced to boot. We've already got a crash manufacturing program for these babies, but the Universal barrel is rather hard to manufacture. We have six SORs ready for delivery today, and another two dozen CIRs. We have two Archangels as well, but we'd like it if they were a little more tested before being deployed in the field. Now let's get to the grenades and equipment. This is an enhanced version of your current Class IV vest. It has an additional magazine pouch allowing you to take two more 7.62mm clips and another shotgun magazine into the field, and also has a few more equipment pouches for whatever they may be needed for. We managed to shave a half pound off the vest's weight, while increasing the protection it provides. There's a new Kevlar pad that covers a bit more of the lower neck, giving it some overlap with your helmet," he said as Matt smiled this time.
"How about grenades?" he asked.
"We have a few different types, including an enhanced incendiary grenade which burns for about twice as long, and a liquid nitrogen grenade. We kicked around your request for white phosphorous, but I'm not too sure that we can do that for you," Westings said.
"I can understand about that. Still, they've been pretty effective against our chief opponents. We'd appreciate it if you could put some more thought into that for us," Matt replied.
"As I said before, it's a pleasure to do business with you. Do you know offhand when to expect Mr. Williams to return?" Westings asked.
"Sometime this afternoon," Matt replied.
"I suppose we can wait to negotiate the contract for these weapons," Westings said as he smirked, guessing they would be put into use immediately.
"I've been authorized to negotiate as well if you want," Matt replied.
"Why don't we just call these a free test and if you like them we'll talk," Westings said.
"Colonel Ryan, would you please report to the command center," someone asked over the facility's intercom.
"Please excuse me Mr. Westings. Mark, Paul, would you please escort Mr. Westings to his car?" Matt asked as he jogged towards the personnel elevator at the other end of the firing range. He took the elevator up to the main floor, and walked the short distance to the command center. "What's the problem Larry?" he asked as he noticed what was playing on the television. "No way."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The White House
Washington D.C., Maryland
August 18, 2001 10:33 AM
"The President will see you now," the secretary said as Ian Williams smiled.
"Thank you very much," he replied as he made sure his identification badge was visible. He walked down the familiar hall before coming to the door to the Oval Office, and stopping outside. He knocked twice before the door opened.
"Ian, I'm glad to see you here. And right on time, as always. Please, come in," President Bush said as he motioned for him to enter. "I know this is going to be about Umbrella, so let's get down to business. Do you really have all of the proof that you say you do?"
"All of that and more sir. Our bug has been transmitting everything that's been said in Spencer's office since this conflict was in its opening days. We had to change the batteries a few times, but we don't believe it has been detected yet," Ian replied as Bush sighed.
"That's good. And what about that leak to the New York Times about what really happened in Shoreline? Has it been plugged?" he asked.
"One of our special assets made sure of it. The won't be anymore information coming out of the NSA and finding its way into Spencer's hands. You know that isn't what I'm here for though," Ian said.
"What is it that you want then Ian?" Bush asked.
"I'd like to ask that you consider deploying the balance of the U.S. military in operations against Umbrella. Our skirmishes with them are all well and good, but the SOC, even with the S.T.A.R.S. helping us, doesn't have the firepower to take out the company in either a timely manner, or one in which we could avoid pushing Spencer over the edge," Ian answered. "And Umbrella's main office is too heavily-defended for us to be able to take over successfully with acceptable casualties."
"Deploy the U.S. military against a pharmaceutical company? That isn't going to look good with the public. I don't even think that we'd be able to take out all of their facilities, especially if they're in countries that want them there. But on the other hand, if we leave even one of them intact, it's possible that they would be able to retaliate with their viruses against us. We can't bomb them, because if their viruses or any of these creatures escape it'd be the same as having a viral outbreak, and we can't go around nuking every Umbrella facility throughout the world, especially if they're in friendly countries. I don't know how much I'll be able to help you Ian," Bush said as he sat down in his office chair.
"If you could do anything at all to help us, it would be appreciated," Ian said as he sat down it the chair opposite Bush's.
"I might be able to bolster your ranks. If I lump the Navy SEALS, Delta, the Air Force's 160th squadron, and the Army Rangers into your command, it might help you. I'm afraid that's all I can do for now," Bush said as there was a knock at the door. "Yes?" he asked as the door opened slightly.
"Sir, you might want to put on CNN. You're going to want to see what they have on," an aide said as Bush walked over to a TV set up in the opposite end of the room. He turned it on, and looked on in shock at what was on the screen.
"For those of you just joining us, we received information earlier this morning from an anonymous source concerning the U.S. government's involvement with a known terrorist organization. Contrary to the current administration's policy of not negotiating with terrorists, this several hundred page document that was delivered to CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, shows that the government actually sponsored a domestic terrorist organization. This organization is a renegade faction of the national S.T.A.R.S. unit, which has seen several embarrassments in the past few years, including a half-dozen teams that defected to join the renegades. It is believed that this information was recovered very early this morning by security forces belonging to the Umbrella Corporation in the aftermath of an attack against a cancer research center by the renegade S.T.A.R.S. Wait, I'm just being handed an update. My God, this is disturbing. We have just completed the analysis of another section of the documents dropped off at our headquarters, which reveals something more disturbing than the Bush Administration's protection of the S.T.A.R.S. It seems that there is a top secret branch of the Central Intelligence Agency which has been directly responsible for collaborating with the S.T.A.R.S. in actions against the American public, including the destruction of Shoreline. I'm sorry," the announcer said, "But I can't continue to read this report. I had a cousin in Shoreline at the time, and I can't believe that the person I voted for President had a hand in its destruction."
"Mr. President, we need to answer this. I have a copy of our bug's intercepts with me right now. This could be our chance to blow Spencer right out of the water," Ian said as he opened up his briefcase, to make sure the video tapes were still there. He popped the first one he grabbed into the VCR under Bush's TV, and watched for several minutes before arriving at the place he felt the American people would most like to see.
"Let's do it. The media is already going to be on its way, so let's turn this against Umbrella. I hope this doesn't push Spencer over the edge," Bush replied as he began walking towards the press center. Ian followed him, and saw almost a half dozen TV cameras already set up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States," his Press Secretary said as the two dozen reporters in the room stood up and began shouting questions before he even took the podium.
"Good morning," Bush said. "Before you ask any questions, please hear me out. Almost a year ago my predecessor, President Clinton, was approached by the Deputy Director of Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency about the need to train a next generation of field agents for the CIA. This idea eventually developed into Special Operations Command, which was brought into existence near the end of last December, just before the U.S. began offensive operations in Afghanistan. During a mission to uncover suspected weapons of mass destruction being developed by the Taliban, what they found turned out to be the most shocking revelation of the 21st century thus far." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and deciding whether he really wanted to say what Ian knew was coming.
"It was less than a week before the disaster in Shoreline that we found out what the Umbrella Corporation really stood for. Contrary to the beliefs of nearly everyone in the country, myself included, we found out that the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S. were right. Three years ago they were laughed at when they claimed the Umbrella Corporation was creating biological weapons in the mountains outside of Raccoon City. They were blamed for attacking an Umbrella plant in Raccoon City, causing a leak of several lethal viruses, which led to the destruction of Raccoon. I am here before you to say that this is not true. Tens of thousands of American citizens have been butchered at the hands of the weapons created by Umbrella, with the full knowledge and approval of several as of yet unidentified persons in the government. Even I was not safe from their influence. Many of you remember the questions asked by a reporter from the New York Times in the immediate aftermath of the destruction of Shoreline, Washington. We discovered that the reporter received inside information from Andrew Spencer, the current President of Umbrella." Bush stopped to take a sip of water before going on.
"What really happened in Shoreline? Even we don't know all of the details; the only person that could answer all of the questions is Andrew Spencer. What we do know is that Umbrella learned of the presence of a S.T.A.R.S. member in the city, presumably through a mole in the National Security Agency. Spencer decided to send a team of Umbrella Special Forces, a paramilitary unit maintained by Umbrella, to the city to make sure the S.T.A.R.S. member was killed through whatever means necessary. Whatever means necessary included using biological weapons against innocent civilians in the hopes of getting lucky. In order to prevent the spread of the biological weapons this administration, much like the previous one, was forced to destroy the city. We could not take the chance of having the virus spread beyond the city. Now you may wonder what type of virus this is exactly. At this point, I feel that Assistant Director Ian Williams, the leader of the Special Operations Command, is more qualified to continue than I am." With that, Bush stepped away from the podium, and patted Ian on the shoulder.
"As the President said, my name is Ian Williams, and I am the Assistant Director for Special Operations with the CIA. This places me in control of the Special Operations Command, more commonly referred to as the SOC. Contrary to the report that you have received, from Umbrella no less, we are not in the business of harming American, or any other country's citizens. We had no idea that Umbrella was developing weapons of mass destruction, for sale to anyone with enough money, including international terrorists. While this may be a hard statement to back up, it is the truth nonetheless. While one of our teams was searching Afghanistan for suspected weapons of mass destruction, they came across a lab built and financed by Umbrella, creating biological weapons for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Not only was this facility responsible for the creation of viruses, but also of Umbrella's BioOrganic Weapons. This," Ian said as he pulled out a blown-up photograph and handed it to the gathered journalists, "Is one such BioOrganic Weapon, or B.O.W. Umbrella calls it a Tyrant, for obvious reasons. This is not their only B.O.W., nor their strongest. This photo was taken by an SOC field team less than two weeks ago, in an Umbrella facility near Phoenix, Arizona. The facility was destroyed shortly afterward by the field team."
"Why did you destroy it? Wouldn't it be better to take one of these facilities and parade these monsters out for the whole world to see?" one reporter asked.
"We don't want to take the chance of having one of these abominations escape, and spread viruses throughout the country. Nor do we want to take the chance of having one be released by an employee while we try to defeat the facility's security forces. The best solution is to destroy them wherever we find them," Ian replied.
"Where's your proof?" Another reporter asked as both Ian and Bush smiled.
"Right here," Ian said as he pulled out the VHS tape. Two aides wheeled a TV/VCR combo into the room as Ian slid the tape in. "This was taken by a surveillance device yesterday." The tape started playing with Spencer's conversation with Tom Walker. Ian began reading the hastily-added subtitles that the SOC's intelligence personnel added that morning.
"Spencer: You realize that you've ruined me."
"Thomas Walker: How so? I didn't give them anything.
"Spencer: Didn't you? Some of my more loyal employees were able to escape from Ontario, and told me a very interesting story. I've wondered since you were captured, how was it possible that the S.T.A.R.S. knew about not only our Alpha at the facility, but also the Nemesis III vaccines and the other defenses we had set up for them?"
"Walker: The SOC interrogated me, and claimed to have information from someone inside the facility that was selling information to the highest bidder. They already knew about the Nemesis III vaccines, at least from what they asked me about them. I didn't tell them anything"
"Spencer: We did happen to find someone who's loyalties were questionable, but we were unable to get any condemning information out of him before he had a fatal heart attack. It would seem that the Americans were able to acquire their information through this man, and managed to pass it on to the S.T.A.R.S. before they attacked. Your return to this corporation, however, is not nearly so simple as pointing fingers in the right direction. I've been contacted by several parties who are interested in buying our 'special' products, but we have a problem that needs to be dealt with; the SOC. I'm tired of their meddling in my business. I have a plan to take them out, but I need you to provide me all of the information that you possibly can about them. We'll consider it a down payment on your debt to me."
"There's your proof," Ian said as he stopped the tape and ejected it. "Spencer not only admitted to wanting to take out our organization, but that his company was researching the viruses and B.O.W. programs." He looked up to gauge the reporters' reactions, and nearly froze. Only one of them had a camera actually filming, while the others simply sat there waiting. Before he could ask why they were sitting there, the doors at the back of the room opened, and a phalanx of Secret Service agents and police officers walked in.
"George Bush and Ian Williams, I have been authorized by the Undersecretary of State to place both of you under arrest for treason and conspiracy to commit murder. You have the right to remain silent," a police officer said as he took out a set of handcuffs. The Secret Service agents took Ian's bag and videotapes, and began smashing them. Ian brought his gaze up as the police officer snapped the cuffs on, and saw that most of the reporters were clapping.
"So you're working with Spencer too," he said as he noticed that the lone man with the camera was still filming. He gave Ian a reassuring wink before starting to back towards the rear of the room.
"Of course. We were only waiting for the right moment to act. The remainder of the cabinet as well as everyone unwilling to agree with our point of view have been taken into custody already. Don't worry, I promise that your trials and executions will be short and painless," the officer whispered as two Secret Service agents walked up behind the cameraman.
"You aren't authorized to be here. Give us the tape," the leader said as the man smiled. He ejected the tape from the camera, and started to hand it to the agent before feigning dropping the tape. As he went to catch it, he tackled the first agent, then swept the legs out from beneath the second one. The man ran out the doors as two of Umbrella's bought-out men shot at him.
"He won't get far," the officer who had cuffed Ian said. "We didn't anticipate you having someone here to film the conference. It almost worked out for you Mr. Williams. It's a shame that your only hope is about to be hunted down and exterminated."
'But I've never seen him before in my life,' Ian thought and almost said, before catching himself. Whoever that man was definitely intended to help both Bush and him. The sound of automatic weapon fire drifted up through the halls as the officer smiled.
"That should be it for him," he said as he began pushing Ian towards the doors. "We've got a car to catch. I don't want to keep your tribunals waiting."
"This is Sentry 1. I don't know who that guy is but we can't hit him," another Umbrella man called out over the radio.
"What do you mean you can't hit him? You're all expert shots. Take him out or Lord Spencer will have your heads," the officer said before turning off the radio.
"Maybe our only hope is going to make it," Ian said before the officer punched him in the face. He barely even noticed the pain; he was still trying to figure out just who the cameraman was. One thing stood out in his memory; 'Those hazel eyes,' Ian thought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Headquarters
August 18, 2001 12:25 PM
"It's been way too long since we've heard from Ian," Mark said as he started pacing. He, like all of the other SOC commandos, had assumed the worst and began immediate evacuation procedures. All that remained was a skeleton support staff, and a handful of operatives. The databases had been copied to disks, then wiped, and explosive charges had been set up throughout the facility. There was a single TV still hooked up, and it was set to CNN in the hope that something about Ian or the President would be on.
"Shh, we may have something here," Ken said as the news station cut to a live feed from the White House.
"This is Walter Phelps, reporting live from the White House where one of the most eventful days in U.S. history has taken another dramatic turn. Roughly an hour ago, President Bush, his cabinet and several dozen staff members were taken into arrest and charged with treason in connection with the S.T.A.R.S. terrorists. Among them is Ian Williams, the leader of the secret CIA secret military unit that was directly coordinating with the S.T.A.R.S. As of now, the Undersecretary of State has taken over duties as President, and was sworn in moments ago by Judge Francis Salvin of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. His first act was to mobilize the country's military against the traitors, as well as the S.T.A.R.S. When explaining the reasoning behind his decision, President Evans said, "The news that our nation has supported a terrorist organization has left me with little choice but to respond in kind. All of the guilty will be hunted down, and collaborators will be punished."
"I've seen enough," Matt said as he turned off the TV. "It's time to leave. Call up the S.T.A.R.S. and tell them to get out of the country right now. We'll be operating out of the Alpha Site for the near future, it looks like."
"Are you sure the Canadians are going to let us and not just turn us back over to Evans?" Zander asked.
"Where else are we going to go? Tell everyone to contact their families and get them out of the country. Umbrella's going to go after them if they can't get to us," Matt said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his family, telling them as much as he could and to get to Canada. He did the same with Melissa, and grabbed a duffel bag before taking all of his personnel possessions out of his office and locker. "Good-bye Headquarters. You've served us well," he whispered as he patted the wall for the last time.
"What about DefTek? We should give them a heads up. And did someone call our new recruit?" Greg asked as he pushed a handcart full of weapons and ammunition in front of him.
"Already did," Matt replied. "They're going to torch their main office and make for Canada, just like we are. I have the contact number for them once they get there. Umbrella shouldn't get any people out to find them until they're already safe. We're the main targets. And Serena is already on her way to the Alpha Site."
"Nice to know they care," Fred said as he helped Greg with the weapons. "Now how are we going to get all of this stuff across the border?"
"I have an old friend or two in the border patrol. We've got authorization to go right on through the checkpoints. Once we're in Canada, we're home free," Matt replied. "Now let's get out of here before we can't leave at all."
"No argument from us," one of the Intel officers said as he finished wiping his computer's hard drive, then put three shots from a 9mm pistol into it to be sure.
"Then let's book," Sam said as he held open the doors to the elevator. Greg and Fred brought the extra weapons onto the elevator, leaving just enough room for Adam and Zander to squeeze in. A handful of others jogged for the freight elevator as Matt walked to the stairs along with Paul and Mark. None of them said a word as they entered the vehicle bay for the last time. It was almost completely empty, with a handful of trucks, cars and vans all that indicated the base was still inhabited.
"Head count," Matt said as he pulled out a list of the remaining personnel. They waited as each person either got off an elevator or came down the stairs, checking off their names once they got in a vehicle and left.
"We're it," Paul said as they walked over towards Mark's car. Matt had left his truck at home, and Paul had been carpooling with Mark already. Once the car had exited the vehicle bay, Paul pulled out a remote detonator for the explosives they had rigged. "Here Matt," he said handing it to him. "Since you're now in charge of the SOC, I figured that you should," he began before Matt nodded.
"I understand. If Spencer thinks he's got us on the run, he's got another thing coming. We're going to spring those people as soon as we can get re-organized, then we're going to scream from every mountaintop just what exactly Spencer is responsible for. This just got serious," he said before pushing the button. The ground around the former SOC Headquarters imploded as the subterranean facility collapsed. A plume of dirt shot up into the air, almost like a last gasp for the dying facility. "I'm through playing games."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Top secret Detention Center
Location unknown
August 18, 2001 2:21 PM
"How do you plead?" one of the shadowed figures asked Ian.
"Not guilty," he replied with as much dignity as he could muster. He knew that these "tribunals" were nothing more than kangaroo courts. In the hour they had been at the facility, twenty people had already been in "court," and all had been found guilty.
"You are charged with treason, and conspiracy to commit murder. After reviewing the evidence, this tribunal finds you guilty. You are sentenced to death by firing squad. Your sentence will be carried out on August 20th, at 6:35 AM. Send in the next prisoner," the figure said. Ian had spent a grand total of five minutes in front of the people who called themselves "judges," and the evidence against him had amounted to a post-it note that had his name printed on it and a blue magic marker. He had expected this much, of course, but still wasn't prepared for the suddenness of everything that occurred. Umbrella had set a trap for Bush and himself, hoping to get both of them in the same place to capture them at the same time. And what better way to do it than to frame the President for treason, then kidnap him at his only chance to clear his name.
"You're going to be shot before this is over," Ian said as two guards, Umbrella guards no less, led him away.
"Not when we're calling the shots," one of the judges replied before laughing. "To think, you actually believed you could stand against Umbrella. Shows what you know."
"Where are you taking me?" Ian asked as the guards led him down a different corridor than his cell was in.
"If you're quiet, we can get you out of here, like the others," one of the guards whispered. Ian looked up and recognized who the guard was.
"How did you?" he began to ask before the man smiled.
"You, Mr. Williams, have friends in much higher places than you can possibly comprehend. Now let's get you to safety before anyone realizes that the others are gone too," he replied.
"I don't understand," Ian stammered as the man gave a short laugh.
"If I was in your position, I wouldn't either. Trust me when I say I'm a friend." The man opened a door in the rear of the facility, where Ian saw a Humvee idling.
"My friend will get you up to the border. From there, the Humvee is yours to take to your Alpha Site. Good luck, Assistant Director," his liberator said before turning back towards the facility.
"Can I at least know your name?" Ian asked, wanting to at least try and understand what just happened.
"My friends call me John," he replied before the doors closed. Somehow, 'John' had managed to not only escape the Umbrella ambush at the White House with his tape, but also to beat the Umbrella convoy here. And what had he meant by "Higher places than he could possibly comprehend?" All he ended up with were more questions, making his day even more confusing than before.
"Assistant Director, we really are in a pinch for time. Please get in the Humvee," the other man said as Ian took a moment to try and identify him.
"Barry?" he asked as the man nodded. "How were you able to sneak into an Umbrella compound while they've been out trying to kill you?"
"I honestly have no idea, and I don't feel like sticking around to find out," Barry replied with a smile. "Once we get into Canada I'm going to link up with the others. Now let's get out of here before someone notices that you're gone."
"Do you know where we are right now?" Ian asked as he got into the passenger seat. He had a hood placed over his head during the drive up, but he remembered feeling the sun on the left side of his face, indicating that they were traveling North for at least part of the journey.
"Western Pennsylvania. The Humvee has a full tank of gas, and should be able to get us to Canada. Once we're in the clear you'll be able to fill it up," Barry replied as he shifted the vehicle into gear and drove towards the compound's gate. They were waved through without even a second look from the guard, and began heading Northwest towards Canada, and safety.
"Things are about to get very interesting," Ian said, knowing that it was an understatement. "We aren't just going to roll over and die."
"It's time to take the fight to Umbrella," Barry agreed as Ian nodded. 'Take back the United States, defeat an international pharmaceutical company that had more weapons of mass destruction than France and Great Britain combined, and do it with less than two hundred people,' Ian thought, 'piece of cake.'
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Umbrella Incorporated Main Office
August 18, 2001 3:22 PM
"Please repeat what you just told me," Spencer said as he looked at the phone in his hand. "It sounded like you said all of your prisoners escaped, and made it into Canada. It also sounded like you said that not only did your primary targets all escape, but your secondary ones did as well."
"Lord Spencer, by the time we could locate the SOC's Headquarters, it was too late. They destroyed the facility hours before we arrived. The same thing happened with DefTec Industries. Their factory and corporate offices were already burning by the time we got there. If we would've had a little bit longer before the release of the papers we recovered, it might've been a different story," the USF agent on the other end of the line replied. He had just gone through the DefTec offices himself even though the structure was declared unsafe by the fire police, hoping to find something hinting at where they had fled to.
"I understand. You shall be forgiven for your failure this time, but do not allow it to happen again," Spencer said as he placed the phone back in its cradle. "I think we need to put someone else in charge of hunting down our opponents. Mr. Walker, I need you here where you can do the company the most good. I've been looking through the files we have for mercenaries that the American government has been so kind as to provide us, and I believe I've found someone worthy of our time. Please contact her," he added sliding a folder across the desk to Tom. "Make sure she is persuaded to enlist with us."
"I don't think that will be a problem, my Lord. Is there anything else you request of me?" Tom replied as he flipped through the folder quickly.
"Take a handful of security teams and sweep the roofs of the neighboring buildings. I want the bug that's been monitoring my office found and destroyed." Spencer turned his office chair around, and began typing something into his computer. Tom walked out of the office, then took the opportunity to look at the folder again to confirm his suspicions. 'It's really her,' he thought, remembering his only field operation in Afghanistan. The prison uprising had been very chaotic, and he had never like the Russian mercenary very much to begin with. All he believed it would've taken to kill her was a set of misread coordinates for an artillery barrage, but he had underestimated her will to survive. Luckily for him, she had blamed the mishap on the U.S. commander on the scene, even though she neglected the small detail that he didn't have the authority to call in artillery. 'Well Xenia, it seems that we're going to meet again. You might not be so lucky this time.'
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Alpha Site (Current Headquarters)
August 18, 2001 4:37 PM
"So you're Sarena Ba," Matt began as he looked at the unfamiliar
person sitting at the facility's conference table.
"First names only. You may have the proper clearance to know my full name, but not everyone else does," she replied.
"Okay then. I suppose I should welcome you to the SOC. Your background is very impressive, from what I've seen. Of course, most of it is classified even beyone my clearance. I'm looking forward to working with you," Matt said as he extended his hand.
"We'll see," Serena replied, before hesitantly extending her own hand. 'Looks like we aren't starting out on the best foot,' Matt thought to himself. 'I hope I can keep the SOC together long enough to get Ian back. It's time to get back to business.'
"Has everyone made it?" Matt asked as the Team and Group leaders gathered around the conference table, along with the lead members of the support staff. Once all of the leaders were in, Matt had paged them over the facility's PA system, in order to get an accurate count of how many personnel he had available.
"All field operatives are accounted for," Adam said.
"We're all here," Frank Lorenz said, representing the support personnel.
"I'm here," a voice near the door announced. Matt looked up, and had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
"Ian? How?" was all that he could stammer as Ian walked up to the head of the table. Everyone stood up as a gesture of respect, having feared that they would never see their leader alive again.
"It's a long story. The President, and everyone else that Umbrella took prisoner made it out too. I'm glad to hear that we all made it to the Alpha Site. How about family members? Have they all made it out?" Ian asked.
"Evans closed the borders right after the last of us got across. We don't know how many people made it out and how many are still behind," Matt said as he frowned. He hoped Evans wouldn't order U.S. troops to arrest their families, but with Umbrella really calling the shots, nothing was certain.
"All we can do is hope that they're okay. What about Serena, did she make it here too?" Ian said, shifting the conversation away from the obviously sensitive issue of family members, and getting back to business.
"Reporting for duty, Assistant Director," she replied, snapping off a quick salute which earned her glances from all of the others at the table. Military protocol had been one of the first things to meet the chopping block when the SOC was established. It was obvious to all of the people in the room that Serena was new to the SOC, since she didn't know that.
"Please, call me Ian. And you don't have to salute me since you aren't in the military anymore. Or in the United States, for that matter. Now, I'd like to hear some ideas about how to get our country back," he said as he looked around the room.
"Take out Umbrella's HQ," was the suggestion from Mark. "If we break their base of operations, we can take Spencer and expose Umbrella for what they really are."
"We don't have the manpower to. Even if we armed all of the support personnel, and took the S.T.A.R.S. with us, we'd only have about half the number of security personnel that Umbrella has in the building alone, not counting any B.O.W. surprises. Our immediate concern should be what to do about the test for Umbrella's Alphas. We need to have Sam R. out there," Matt said, making sure to address the right Sam.
"We aren't going to be able to get in through the U.S. armed services, that's for sure. What about Canada?" Paul asked.
"Could we get Teams 7 and 9 into the Canadian armed forces? Umbrella would take troops from Canada, and we could rig it so Sam gets chosen. Then we could have the rest of Team 7 and Team 9 assigned to a carrier as part of a NATO exercise. Sometime right before Sam gets to the island, we could arrange for a fishing boat or something to pick them up, and have them wait off the coast of the island. And if we need to scrub the mission, Sam could call the carrier and tell them that they were on a drug-interdiction mission or something, and need a lift," Serena suggested as if the answer should be obvious.
"I knew hiring you was a good idea," Ian said with a laugh as she frowned. "Let's make it happen people. I also want a plan to start hitting Spencer's facilities on my desk by tomorrow morning. Take the rest of the day and get some rest. Try to find out what happened to your families as well, if you can. Dismissed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And that's number 10. As you can see, this chapter earned its title of Aftershocks not once but twice (from the two huge plot twists). I must admit that when I started to write this chapter I intended for it to be slightly different, then remembered a few ideas I had wanted to incorporate earlier in the story, such as the on-the-run aspect.
And how's that for a twist? Umbrella is now, for all intents and purposes, in charge of the United States of America. Is the SOC going to be able to free the country, and restore the legitimate government (Bush, etc.)? And to Rhys D, this is only a small part of what I meant by consequences. All this stuff has happened, and the story isn't even halfway done yet.
Before the question is asked, I'm going to explain where exactly John came from. When the Battle of Shoreline was posted on umbrella-inc.com it got a little bit away from what I intended it to be, and John was my attempt to bring the story back on track (clear up contradictions, etc.) so it wouldn't be so confusing. I know, back in Chapter 2 I said I didn't want any super-human characters, but I also felt that this story needed some continuity between TBoS and O: FS. If it'll make you all feel better, (Warning: Spoiler. Do not read if you don't want to know what's going to happen. To make sure no one accidentally reads it, I'm going to write the spoiler backwards. If you want to read it, then look from right to left), elihW gnoL A roF kcaB eB t'noW eH (end spoiler).
Now that I've got that taken care of, I want to add a few more thoughts. I don't know how it happened, but my teachers decided to be extremely lenient on homework this week, so in 3 nights I was able to write about 7,000 words for this chapter. The first chapter of The Fall of Umbrella is about half-way done, but I haven't worked on it for a week or two (getting this chapter done is my main priority, since it's the only one that anyone's really waiting for). Our school is giving us Friday off to go to the Bloomsburg Fair (I never thought I'd be glad to have a day off from school to go to an event where people get stabbed and/or raped every year but hey, if it means I can get another few thousand words written, so much the better) and of course there's the football game Friday night (the team actually won, and trounced the other team no less, to advance to a record of 1 win and 3 losses), where all of our lives are hanging in the balance (the band sucked the big one last week, so if we aren't amazing on Friday I might not be alive to continue this story). Since this story is my pride and joy, I'm going to go out there and own all to make sure I make it through alive. As always, I'm still happy to take characters (good and bad, or neutral if you want, since I now have a brand new administration in the White House to play with, for the time being). Anyway, on to the real goodies and what I'm sure is the only reason anyone's read the last five hundred plus words, the COMING ATTRACTIONS.
Next time on Operation: Falling S.T.A.R.S.:
The realization that they will now have to fight against the United States finally begins to set in as Spencer celebrates his victory over the SOC. But even as he believes the SOC to be crushed, they are holding a strategy session with the S.T.A.R.S. about how to proceed. The anti-Umbrella effort will get a huge boost when it is revealed that one of Spencer's most- trusted employees has been selling him out all along. Who the insider is (if you read the Resident Evil books you'll know), and what he's going to offer to the S.T.A.R.S. and SOC may turn the tide back into their favor once and for all. Don't miss a second as the action heats up again in Operation: Falling S.T.A.R.S. Chapter 11: Ground Zero
Apologies: To Rhys D. He was the one who contributed the SOC's new assassin, as well as our new villaness, not Brian. Thanks again for the characters, and for being so kind as to point out areas in my fic that I needed to develop/clarify a little bit more. I'd also like to apologize for the way I introduced Serena; I think I could've done a much better job of it. She'll get an improved role in chapter 11. I didn't like her original intro that I had at all, changed it, saw the new one wasn't much better, and stopped caring. Chapter 10 sat on my PC finished except for about 150 words for three days (when I was helping to make the deck for our garage, at the football game, etc.), and at this point I just want it up. Next chapter will be better, I promise.
Author's Notes: Sorry about the long wait between chapters. School work, contrary to my expectations, hasn't settled down very much. I've also had Hurricane Isabel (we were one of less than 1/2 dozen local schools to stay open through it!) football games with the band, and a load of other activities cutting down on my writing time. This offered me two options (other than not writing any more, which would probably make me as upset as everyone else), to either drastically cut the size of my chapters, or slow down my writing and take more of a binge typing approach (late night and on the weekends). As you can tell I've gone for the latter, since I don't think it's fair to all of you if I started skimping on even more details than I have already. Enough of me talking about a load of crap. You've waited long enough for number 10, and here it is.
Operation Falling S.T.A.R.S.
Chapter 10: Aftershocks
Location unknown
August 17, 2001 11:15 PM
"No?"
"I'm sorry," John said as Matt looked disappointedly towards him.
"Why John?" Matt asked as John looked down at the ground, avoiding Matt's gaze. He waited for almost a half minute before answering.
"After hearing about the Nemesis IIIs, I believed I had enough information to go to my people with. We've been debating whether to aid you for almost two months, but unfortunately some unexpected events occurred that we weren't prepared for."
"Such as?" Matt asked, anxious to hear what was important enough to remove an ally from the war against Umbrella.
"Right now we're fighting an intergalactic two front war. Seventy two hours ago we were blindsided by some nasties from out of town. Came right up through the western spiral arm of the galaxy and started nailing our territory. We've been able to slow them down, but they have a huge beachhead on our turf. Three fourths of our entire military is operating against them as we speak. I would be with them, except we needed someone familiar with Earth to stay here and monitor the Umbrella situation. To top that off, our rival in this galaxy decided to launch a full offensive against us as well. We're caught in between both of them, but we're fighting them to a stalemate. I did my best, but we have no one to spare. We can't take on a third conflict now Matt. I'm being restricted to what I can do as well. One misstep, no matter how slight, could result in disaster for Earth. It's something that we just can't risk."
"Okay. I also want to tell you that Umbrella's developing another new series of bioweapons, called the Alpha Project. They're going to enhance the intelligence of their existing creatures, and create a new line of monsters," Matt said as John nodded.
"If things continue on the way they are now, I might be able to get some help here soon. In the mean time, I want to wish you luck," he replied.
"Thanks. Here's hoping we win," Matt said as he turned to walk away.
"Matt," John said before hesitating. Matt stopped walking as he waited for John to continue. "Keep your head down."
"I will," Matt said as the dreamlike conversation ended, and Matt woke up. He checked his alarm clock, and noticed that it was almost six in the morning. Melissa had already gotten up, and had wanted to make a trip out to the local supermarket early before heavy traffic appeared on the roads. He got cleaned up, pulled on some fresh clothes, and headed towards his truck. "I wonder what sort of fun activities today's going to bring," he muttered to himself as he started the engine and pulled out. It was just another day in the struggle against Umbrella.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Umbrella Incorporated Main Office
Paris, France
August 17, 2001 11:31 PM
"Mr. Walker, welcome back. You gave all of us quite a scare," Andrew Spencer said as Tom walked in to his office. Tom sat down in the seat facing Spencer's desk and waited for the screaming to begin. The door to the office swung shut, but Spencer remained motionless, as if contemplating his possible actions.
"You realize that you've ruined me," Spencer said as he leaned backward in his chair.
"How so?" Tom asked. "I didn't give them anything."
"Didn't you? Some of my more loyal employees were able to escape from Ontario, and told me a very interesting story. I've wondered since you were captured, how was it possible that the S.T.A.R.S. knew about not only our Alpha at the facility, but also the Nemesis III vaccines and the other defenses we had set up for them?" Spencer asked as he drummed his fingers on the arm of his office chair, waiting for Tom's response.
Tom knew that he had to be very careful. Making a single mistake would end up in his death, or worse. "The SOC interrogated me, and claimed to have information from someone inside the facility that was selling information to the highest bidder. They already knew about the Nemesis III vaccines, at least from what they asked me about them. I didn't tell them anything," he lied, hoping it would be good enough.
"We did happen to find someone who's loyalties were questionable, but we were unable to get any condemning information out of him before he had a fatal heart attack. It would seem that the Americans were able to acquire their information through this man, and managed to pass it on to the S.T.A.R.S. before they attacked. Your return to this corporation, however, is not nearly so simple as pointing fingers in the right direction. I've been contacted by several parties who are interested in buying our 'special' products, but we have a problem that needs to be dealt with; the SOC. I'm tired of their meddling in my business. I have a plan to take them out, but I need you to provide me all of the information that you possibly can about them. We'll consider it a down payment on your debt to me," Spencer said as Tom gave a sigh of relief on the inside.
"Of course my Lord. It would be my pleasure to be of assistance to you. What specifically would you like to know?" Tom replied as Spencer smiled.
"Their equipment intrigues me. Where does it come from? It's much more advanced than I expected them to have, even though the Americans are in love with their technological superiority above the rest of the world," he asked.
"They get their equipment from many different sources, but DefTek Industries is the primary supplier. They're a small defense contractor that's famous for making high-quality armaments for the government. Many of the U.S. military's next generation weapons and equipment will be made by them," Tom replied before continuing, "What are you going to use the information for?"
"Not yet, Mr. Walker. After I have all of the information I want, you'll find out, I promise. Now, what about funding?" Spencer said, brushing off Tom's question.
"Again, they get funded from many sources, including some that I'm not privy to. I do know they get money from the CIA, as well as the Defense Department." Tom said as he began to catch on to what Spencer's plan was. "What else would you like to know my Lord?"
"Everything. Personnel, addresses, mission histories, people who know it exists, whatever you know I want to," Spencer said as he patted a tape recorder with his hand.
"Might I say, you have an excellent plan Lord Spencer. The SOC will never expect you to do this. They won't dare attempt to bother us again," Tom said as he smiled, though not for the reasons Spencer thought. 'This very well might lead to Spencer's destruction,' he thought. "Now, where was I? The SOC is headed by Assistant Director Ian Williams, who has quite a bit of power in Washington. You already know that Matt Ryan has been appointed to the position I once held of Group 1 commander, and I suspect that Ian has also named him the acting field commander for the unit. I can't recall the names of any other Group commanders, nor do I remember actually meeting any of them. It seemed that none of the SOC commandos liked me very much. They didn't have much of a mission history before coming after us; they mostly did some light work on the ground in Afghanistan, and some consultations for anti-terrorist organizations in friendly countries. You'll like hearing this though. Both Presidents Clinton and Bush were cleared to receive reports about the organization, along with key members of Congress, the Department of Defense, CIA, and DefTek Industries. That's about all for a general description; even I wasn't cleared into everything."
"Trust me Mr. Walker, it will be more than satisfactory. Welcome back to the Umbrella Corporation. You have not only redeemed yourself, but impressed me. Now I must see what the best way to implement this plan will be. You are dismissed," Spencer said as Tom left the office as quickly as he could. He knew that things were about to get very bad, and didn't want to be around when Spencer's plan went into motion.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Headquarters
August 18, 2001 9:30 AM
"Anything happen while I was away?" Matt asked jokingly as several people in the room smiled. Everyone had heard of the ordeal he had gone through, and were encouraged by it. If Matt could remain optimistic even while enduring so much suffering, then they wouldn't give up hope even though they were greatly outnumbered by Umbrella.
"No sir," one of them replied. "Ian is en route to Washington as we speak, to talk to the President about getting the military involved against Umbrella. Our guest from DefTek hasn't arrived yet, nor has our new recruit. That's about it for the important stuff."
"Thanks George," Matt replied as he walked towards his office, hoping for another calm day.
"Sir," George called out before Matt could leave the command center, "We've received a transmission from the DefTek representative. He'll be arriving momentarily with the prototypes."
"Thanks again. Let's go see what Santa's brought for all of the good boys and girls fighting the evils created by the Umbrella Corporation. Clear out the firing range, and have Mark and Paul meet me in the vehicle bay," Matt said as he began to jog towards the bay himself. Right after he arrived, a small truck pulled into the bay, along with a second truck moments later. Both had already been scanned with thermal sensors and cleared by the guards at the security checkpoint, but two security teams were still on hand, along with people Matt couldn't see, he was sure.
"Mr. Ryan, it's a pleasure as always," a man in a dark gray suit said as he walked towards Matt with his hand extended.
"Mr. Westings, I'm glad to do business with you as always. Please, follow me to the firing range," Matt replied as he shook Westing's hand, and motioned towards the freight elevator in the back of the bay. Several technicians began wheeling hand trucks over to the trucks, before Westings interrupted them.
"Please, leave the two large crates in the trucks. They're to stay here until we're finished," he said as the technicians nodded.
"No time like the present," Matt suggested as Mark and Paul entered the bay.
"Okay then, we'll start with the big stuff. When Ian contacted me and said that you would be in the market for base defenses, I started my people developing something for you right away. These," he said as he opened the lids to the two crates, "are Specter 20mm cannons. They have a firing rate of about 1,200 rounds per minute, and can be controlled either by an operator at a remote location, or by an internal Identify Friend or Foe computer. As you know, our recent advances in microchip technology have allowed us to create an IFF system that is able to recognize friendly and enemy vehicles, along with personnel. Perfect to place in your roof, or the side walls to the vehicle bay. These models can even be concealed inside the walls and flip out at the push of a button. Now let's continue to the firing range, where I can show off some of our infantry weapons for you," Westings said as Matt smiled. The 20mm cannons would be a very helpful addition to the bay's defenses.
"Now believe me when I say that we're going to give you as much in the way of funding as we can," Matt said. "Thus far, this joint business venture has been profitable for both of us, and we would very much like to see it continue into the foreseeable future." They walked onto the elevator, which descended as soon as all of the equipment was onboard.
"It has been our pleasure to develop weapons and equipment that are going to help save American lives in the future. Any other benefits are strictly extras as far as we're concerned," Westings replied as Matt smiled. He knew that unlike some businesses, DefTek really did have the best interests of their customers, specifically the SOC at this point in time but most likely the entire U.S. military in the near future, at heart. They had bent over backwards to accommodate the SOC's requests, and had nearly gone bankrupt to do so.
"Let's see what we have today," Matt said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Everyone walked out into the firing range as the technicians unloaded the crates from the handtruck.
"Let's start off with the fun stuff," Westings said as he opened a large rectangular crate, and pulled out a hard plastic case. "When Ian asked us for portable anti-tank weaponry that wouldn't have to be reloaded immediately, we didn't think it could be done. Believe it or not, the inspiration for this weapon actually came from the movies. This is the Archangel," he added pulling a fairly large rifle out of the plastic case.
"It doesn't look like much to me," Mark said.
"And that would be the last thing the commander of a T-90 tank would say before getting knocked into the afterlife. This isn't just any old 5.56 or 7.62mm rifle my friends. This is a man-portable rail gun," Westings replied as Matt whistled. He took the railgun that Westings handed him, and gave it the once over. Even though it was fairly long, the gun was remarkably light.
"Does it have a magazine? What about noise levels? And rate of fire," he continued as he checked the weapon's sights with a precision that had taken years to develop.
"The magazine snaps into the top of the rifle here," Westings said as he pulled a clip out from the case and pushed it down through a slot in the top. "It fires aluminum slugs at a hypersonic velocity, and the internal magazine can hold eight shots before it needs to be reloaded. Its rate of fire is sixteen rounds per minute, give or take, depending on how fast you can reload and shoot. The problem is that the capacitors for the magnetic accelerator will overheat if the weapon is fired too often in a short period of time. Now, I know you're going to ask how it's powered, since the energy needed to generate a magnetic field strong enough to propel even this small slug at the speeds I mentioned would be incredibly high. It has an internal hydrogen fuel cell, which provides enough power to get off three or four shots by itself. The aluminum slug generates a massive amount of electricity as it travels down the barrel, which is absorbed and channeled into an internal Lithium battery, which is recharged after each shot. Of course, if one is handy, you can plug it into a wall outlet, but the charge-up time is much higher than just shooting it. Allow me to demonstrate," he continued as he walked over to one of the stations at the firing range. "This will also answer your question about the noise." He pointed the railgun downrange, towards a thick slab of steel that had been set up to test armor-piercing bullets. "I hope you don't have anything irreplaceable on the other side of that steel," Westings muttered as he slowly squeezed the trigger. Matt heard a slight whistling sound accompanying dozens of teal-colored rings which followed right behind the slug. "Let's see how she did," Westings said as he placed the railgun back in the crate and walked down towards the steel.
"We'll take it," Matt said once he arrived. The eight inch slab of steel had been completely penetrated by the aluminum slug, which maintained enough energy to continue down the range through a second six inch thick steel target, before lodging itself halfway through a third six inch thick target. "What else do you have, Mr. Westings?" Matt asked.
"A few different variations of grenades, some new body armor prototypes, and two new rifles," he replied. They walked back to the firing line, and Westings opened up another crate. "This is the F-1100 CIR, or Composite Infantry Rifle. We made several improvements to the original F- 1100 design, including an internal silencer for the 7.62mm section. We also attached a scope to the top, so you won't have to make do with modified rifles for the time being. We also upgraded the shotgun to accept magnum rounds. The second rifle is a bit nicer, in my opinion. This is the Mark 12 Special Operations Rifle. It's chambered in 7.62mm by default, just like the regular F-1100, but that's about where the similarities end. It has a modular rail on the bottom of the rifle, which is normally equipped with a 40mm grenade launcher. It can also fit a flare launcher, or a 20mm cannon like the Army's new SABR rifle. It's much lighter though, comes with an infrared scope and silencer, and has a folding stock which allows it to be fired like a submachine gun," Westings added.
"What do you mean by chambered in 7.62mm in default?" Matt asked as Westings smiled.
"Don't ask me how, I'm not even sure about the science behind it, but this rifle incorporates the first ever Universal barrel. What I mean to say is that it's capable of firing any bullet ranging from 9mm up to 7.62mm rounds, and silenced to boot. We've already got a crash manufacturing program for these babies, but the Universal barrel is rather hard to manufacture. We have six SORs ready for delivery today, and another two dozen CIRs. We have two Archangels as well, but we'd like it if they were a little more tested before being deployed in the field. Now let's get to the grenades and equipment. This is an enhanced version of your current Class IV vest. It has an additional magazine pouch allowing you to take two more 7.62mm clips and another shotgun magazine into the field, and also has a few more equipment pouches for whatever they may be needed for. We managed to shave a half pound off the vest's weight, while increasing the protection it provides. There's a new Kevlar pad that covers a bit more of the lower neck, giving it some overlap with your helmet," he said as Matt smiled this time.
"How about grenades?" he asked.
"We have a few different types, including an enhanced incendiary grenade which burns for about twice as long, and a liquid nitrogen grenade. We kicked around your request for white phosphorous, but I'm not too sure that we can do that for you," Westings said.
"I can understand about that. Still, they've been pretty effective against our chief opponents. We'd appreciate it if you could put some more thought into that for us," Matt replied.
"As I said before, it's a pleasure to do business with you. Do you know offhand when to expect Mr. Williams to return?" Westings asked.
"Sometime this afternoon," Matt replied.
"I suppose we can wait to negotiate the contract for these weapons," Westings said as he smirked, guessing they would be put into use immediately.
"I've been authorized to negotiate as well if you want," Matt replied.
"Why don't we just call these a free test and if you like them we'll talk," Westings said.
"Colonel Ryan, would you please report to the command center," someone asked over the facility's intercom.
"Please excuse me Mr. Westings. Mark, Paul, would you please escort Mr. Westings to his car?" Matt asked as he jogged towards the personnel elevator at the other end of the firing range. He took the elevator up to the main floor, and walked the short distance to the command center. "What's the problem Larry?" he asked as he noticed what was playing on the television. "No way."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The White House
Washington D.C., Maryland
August 18, 2001 10:33 AM
"The President will see you now," the secretary said as Ian Williams smiled.
"Thank you very much," he replied as he made sure his identification badge was visible. He walked down the familiar hall before coming to the door to the Oval Office, and stopping outside. He knocked twice before the door opened.
"Ian, I'm glad to see you here. And right on time, as always. Please, come in," President Bush said as he motioned for him to enter. "I know this is going to be about Umbrella, so let's get down to business. Do you really have all of the proof that you say you do?"
"All of that and more sir. Our bug has been transmitting everything that's been said in Spencer's office since this conflict was in its opening days. We had to change the batteries a few times, but we don't believe it has been detected yet," Ian replied as Bush sighed.
"That's good. And what about that leak to the New York Times about what really happened in Shoreline? Has it been plugged?" he asked.
"One of our special assets made sure of it. The won't be anymore information coming out of the NSA and finding its way into Spencer's hands. You know that isn't what I'm here for though," Ian said.
"What is it that you want then Ian?" Bush asked.
"I'd like to ask that you consider deploying the balance of the U.S. military in operations against Umbrella. Our skirmishes with them are all well and good, but the SOC, even with the S.T.A.R.S. helping us, doesn't have the firepower to take out the company in either a timely manner, or one in which we could avoid pushing Spencer over the edge," Ian answered. "And Umbrella's main office is too heavily-defended for us to be able to take over successfully with acceptable casualties."
"Deploy the U.S. military against a pharmaceutical company? That isn't going to look good with the public. I don't even think that we'd be able to take out all of their facilities, especially if they're in countries that want them there. But on the other hand, if we leave even one of them intact, it's possible that they would be able to retaliate with their viruses against us. We can't bomb them, because if their viruses or any of these creatures escape it'd be the same as having a viral outbreak, and we can't go around nuking every Umbrella facility throughout the world, especially if they're in friendly countries. I don't know how much I'll be able to help you Ian," Bush said as he sat down in his office chair.
"If you could do anything at all to help us, it would be appreciated," Ian said as he sat down it the chair opposite Bush's.
"I might be able to bolster your ranks. If I lump the Navy SEALS, Delta, the Air Force's 160th squadron, and the Army Rangers into your command, it might help you. I'm afraid that's all I can do for now," Bush said as there was a knock at the door. "Yes?" he asked as the door opened slightly.
"Sir, you might want to put on CNN. You're going to want to see what they have on," an aide said as Bush walked over to a TV set up in the opposite end of the room. He turned it on, and looked on in shock at what was on the screen.
"For those of you just joining us, we received information earlier this morning from an anonymous source concerning the U.S. government's involvement with a known terrorist organization. Contrary to the current administration's policy of not negotiating with terrorists, this several hundred page document that was delivered to CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, shows that the government actually sponsored a domestic terrorist organization. This organization is a renegade faction of the national S.T.A.R.S. unit, which has seen several embarrassments in the past few years, including a half-dozen teams that defected to join the renegades. It is believed that this information was recovered very early this morning by security forces belonging to the Umbrella Corporation in the aftermath of an attack against a cancer research center by the renegade S.T.A.R.S. Wait, I'm just being handed an update. My God, this is disturbing. We have just completed the analysis of another section of the documents dropped off at our headquarters, which reveals something more disturbing than the Bush Administration's protection of the S.T.A.R.S. It seems that there is a top secret branch of the Central Intelligence Agency which has been directly responsible for collaborating with the S.T.A.R.S. in actions against the American public, including the destruction of Shoreline. I'm sorry," the announcer said, "But I can't continue to read this report. I had a cousin in Shoreline at the time, and I can't believe that the person I voted for President had a hand in its destruction."
"Mr. President, we need to answer this. I have a copy of our bug's intercepts with me right now. This could be our chance to blow Spencer right out of the water," Ian said as he opened up his briefcase, to make sure the video tapes were still there. He popped the first one he grabbed into the VCR under Bush's TV, and watched for several minutes before arriving at the place he felt the American people would most like to see.
"Let's do it. The media is already going to be on its way, so let's turn this against Umbrella. I hope this doesn't push Spencer over the edge," Bush replied as he began walking towards the press center. Ian followed him, and saw almost a half dozen TV cameras already set up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States," his Press Secretary said as the two dozen reporters in the room stood up and began shouting questions before he even took the podium.
"Good morning," Bush said. "Before you ask any questions, please hear me out. Almost a year ago my predecessor, President Clinton, was approached by the Deputy Director of Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency about the need to train a next generation of field agents for the CIA. This idea eventually developed into Special Operations Command, which was brought into existence near the end of last December, just before the U.S. began offensive operations in Afghanistan. During a mission to uncover suspected weapons of mass destruction being developed by the Taliban, what they found turned out to be the most shocking revelation of the 21st century thus far." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and deciding whether he really wanted to say what Ian knew was coming.
"It was less than a week before the disaster in Shoreline that we found out what the Umbrella Corporation really stood for. Contrary to the beliefs of nearly everyone in the country, myself included, we found out that the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S. were right. Three years ago they were laughed at when they claimed the Umbrella Corporation was creating biological weapons in the mountains outside of Raccoon City. They were blamed for attacking an Umbrella plant in Raccoon City, causing a leak of several lethal viruses, which led to the destruction of Raccoon. I am here before you to say that this is not true. Tens of thousands of American citizens have been butchered at the hands of the weapons created by Umbrella, with the full knowledge and approval of several as of yet unidentified persons in the government. Even I was not safe from their influence. Many of you remember the questions asked by a reporter from the New York Times in the immediate aftermath of the destruction of Shoreline, Washington. We discovered that the reporter received inside information from Andrew Spencer, the current President of Umbrella." Bush stopped to take a sip of water before going on.
"What really happened in Shoreline? Even we don't know all of the details; the only person that could answer all of the questions is Andrew Spencer. What we do know is that Umbrella learned of the presence of a S.T.A.R.S. member in the city, presumably through a mole in the National Security Agency. Spencer decided to send a team of Umbrella Special Forces, a paramilitary unit maintained by Umbrella, to the city to make sure the S.T.A.R.S. member was killed through whatever means necessary. Whatever means necessary included using biological weapons against innocent civilians in the hopes of getting lucky. In order to prevent the spread of the biological weapons this administration, much like the previous one, was forced to destroy the city. We could not take the chance of having the virus spread beyond the city. Now you may wonder what type of virus this is exactly. At this point, I feel that Assistant Director Ian Williams, the leader of the Special Operations Command, is more qualified to continue than I am." With that, Bush stepped away from the podium, and patted Ian on the shoulder.
"As the President said, my name is Ian Williams, and I am the Assistant Director for Special Operations with the CIA. This places me in control of the Special Operations Command, more commonly referred to as the SOC. Contrary to the report that you have received, from Umbrella no less, we are not in the business of harming American, or any other country's citizens. We had no idea that Umbrella was developing weapons of mass destruction, for sale to anyone with enough money, including international terrorists. While this may be a hard statement to back up, it is the truth nonetheless. While one of our teams was searching Afghanistan for suspected weapons of mass destruction, they came across a lab built and financed by Umbrella, creating biological weapons for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Not only was this facility responsible for the creation of viruses, but also of Umbrella's BioOrganic Weapons. This," Ian said as he pulled out a blown-up photograph and handed it to the gathered journalists, "Is one such BioOrganic Weapon, or B.O.W. Umbrella calls it a Tyrant, for obvious reasons. This is not their only B.O.W., nor their strongest. This photo was taken by an SOC field team less than two weeks ago, in an Umbrella facility near Phoenix, Arizona. The facility was destroyed shortly afterward by the field team."
"Why did you destroy it? Wouldn't it be better to take one of these facilities and parade these monsters out for the whole world to see?" one reporter asked.
"We don't want to take the chance of having one of these abominations escape, and spread viruses throughout the country. Nor do we want to take the chance of having one be released by an employee while we try to defeat the facility's security forces. The best solution is to destroy them wherever we find them," Ian replied.
"Where's your proof?" Another reporter asked as both Ian and Bush smiled.
"Right here," Ian said as he pulled out the VHS tape. Two aides wheeled a TV/VCR combo into the room as Ian slid the tape in. "This was taken by a surveillance device yesterday." The tape started playing with Spencer's conversation with Tom Walker. Ian began reading the hastily-added subtitles that the SOC's intelligence personnel added that morning.
"Spencer: You realize that you've ruined me."
"Thomas Walker: How so? I didn't give them anything.
"Spencer: Didn't you? Some of my more loyal employees were able to escape from Ontario, and told me a very interesting story. I've wondered since you were captured, how was it possible that the S.T.A.R.S. knew about not only our Alpha at the facility, but also the Nemesis III vaccines and the other defenses we had set up for them?"
"Walker: The SOC interrogated me, and claimed to have information from someone inside the facility that was selling information to the highest bidder. They already knew about the Nemesis III vaccines, at least from what they asked me about them. I didn't tell them anything"
"Spencer: We did happen to find someone who's loyalties were questionable, but we were unable to get any condemning information out of him before he had a fatal heart attack. It would seem that the Americans were able to acquire their information through this man, and managed to pass it on to the S.T.A.R.S. before they attacked. Your return to this corporation, however, is not nearly so simple as pointing fingers in the right direction. I've been contacted by several parties who are interested in buying our 'special' products, but we have a problem that needs to be dealt with; the SOC. I'm tired of their meddling in my business. I have a plan to take them out, but I need you to provide me all of the information that you possibly can about them. We'll consider it a down payment on your debt to me."
"There's your proof," Ian said as he stopped the tape and ejected it. "Spencer not only admitted to wanting to take out our organization, but that his company was researching the viruses and B.O.W. programs." He looked up to gauge the reporters' reactions, and nearly froze. Only one of them had a camera actually filming, while the others simply sat there waiting. Before he could ask why they were sitting there, the doors at the back of the room opened, and a phalanx of Secret Service agents and police officers walked in.
"George Bush and Ian Williams, I have been authorized by the Undersecretary of State to place both of you under arrest for treason and conspiracy to commit murder. You have the right to remain silent," a police officer said as he took out a set of handcuffs. The Secret Service agents took Ian's bag and videotapes, and began smashing them. Ian brought his gaze up as the police officer snapped the cuffs on, and saw that most of the reporters were clapping.
"So you're working with Spencer too," he said as he noticed that the lone man with the camera was still filming. He gave Ian a reassuring wink before starting to back towards the rear of the room.
"Of course. We were only waiting for the right moment to act. The remainder of the cabinet as well as everyone unwilling to agree with our point of view have been taken into custody already. Don't worry, I promise that your trials and executions will be short and painless," the officer whispered as two Secret Service agents walked up behind the cameraman.
"You aren't authorized to be here. Give us the tape," the leader said as the man smiled. He ejected the tape from the camera, and started to hand it to the agent before feigning dropping the tape. As he went to catch it, he tackled the first agent, then swept the legs out from beneath the second one. The man ran out the doors as two of Umbrella's bought-out men shot at him.
"He won't get far," the officer who had cuffed Ian said. "We didn't anticipate you having someone here to film the conference. It almost worked out for you Mr. Williams. It's a shame that your only hope is about to be hunted down and exterminated."
'But I've never seen him before in my life,' Ian thought and almost said, before catching himself. Whoever that man was definitely intended to help both Bush and him. The sound of automatic weapon fire drifted up through the halls as the officer smiled.
"That should be it for him," he said as he began pushing Ian towards the doors. "We've got a car to catch. I don't want to keep your tribunals waiting."
"This is Sentry 1. I don't know who that guy is but we can't hit him," another Umbrella man called out over the radio.
"What do you mean you can't hit him? You're all expert shots. Take him out or Lord Spencer will have your heads," the officer said before turning off the radio.
"Maybe our only hope is going to make it," Ian said before the officer punched him in the face. He barely even noticed the pain; he was still trying to figure out just who the cameraman was. One thing stood out in his memory; 'Those hazel eyes,' Ian thought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Headquarters
August 18, 2001 12:25 PM
"It's been way too long since we've heard from Ian," Mark said as he started pacing. He, like all of the other SOC commandos, had assumed the worst and began immediate evacuation procedures. All that remained was a skeleton support staff, and a handful of operatives. The databases had been copied to disks, then wiped, and explosive charges had been set up throughout the facility. There was a single TV still hooked up, and it was set to CNN in the hope that something about Ian or the President would be on.
"Shh, we may have something here," Ken said as the news station cut to a live feed from the White House.
"This is Walter Phelps, reporting live from the White House where one of the most eventful days in U.S. history has taken another dramatic turn. Roughly an hour ago, President Bush, his cabinet and several dozen staff members were taken into arrest and charged with treason in connection with the S.T.A.R.S. terrorists. Among them is Ian Williams, the leader of the secret CIA secret military unit that was directly coordinating with the S.T.A.R.S. As of now, the Undersecretary of State has taken over duties as President, and was sworn in moments ago by Judge Francis Salvin of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. His first act was to mobilize the country's military against the traitors, as well as the S.T.A.R.S. When explaining the reasoning behind his decision, President Evans said, "The news that our nation has supported a terrorist organization has left me with little choice but to respond in kind. All of the guilty will be hunted down, and collaborators will be punished."
"I've seen enough," Matt said as he turned off the TV. "It's time to leave. Call up the S.T.A.R.S. and tell them to get out of the country right now. We'll be operating out of the Alpha Site for the near future, it looks like."
"Are you sure the Canadians are going to let us and not just turn us back over to Evans?" Zander asked.
"Where else are we going to go? Tell everyone to contact their families and get them out of the country. Umbrella's going to go after them if they can't get to us," Matt said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his family, telling them as much as he could and to get to Canada. He did the same with Melissa, and grabbed a duffel bag before taking all of his personnel possessions out of his office and locker. "Good-bye Headquarters. You've served us well," he whispered as he patted the wall for the last time.
"What about DefTek? We should give them a heads up. And did someone call our new recruit?" Greg asked as he pushed a handcart full of weapons and ammunition in front of him.
"Already did," Matt replied. "They're going to torch their main office and make for Canada, just like we are. I have the contact number for them once they get there. Umbrella shouldn't get any people out to find them until they're already safe. We're the main targets. And Serena is already on her way to the Alpha Site."
"Nice to know they care," Fred said as he helped Greg with the weapons. "Now how are we going to get all of this stuff across the border?"
"I have an old friend or two in the border patrol. We've got authorization to go right on through the checkpoints. Once we're in Canada, we're home free," Matt replied. "Now let's get out of here before we can't leave at all."
"No argument from us," one of the Intel officers said as he finished wiping his computer's hard drive, then put three shots from a 9mm pistol into it to be sure.
"Then let's book," Sam said as he held open the doors to the elevator. Greg and Fred brought the extra weapons onto the elevator, leaving just enough room for Adam and Zander to squeeze in. A handful of others jogged for the freight elevator as Matt walked to the stairs along with Paul and Mark. None of them said a word as they entered the vehicle bay for the last time. It was almost completely empty, with a handful of trucks, cars and vans all that indicated the base was still inhabited.
"Head count," Matt said as he pulled out a list of the remaining personnel. They waited as each person either got off an elevator or came down the stairs, checking off their names once they got in a vehicle and left.
"We're it," Paul said as they walked over towards Mark's car. Matt had left his truck at home, and Paul had been carpooling with Mark already. Once the car had exited the vehicle bay, Paul pulled out a remote detonator for the explosives they had rigged. "Here Matt," he said handing it to him. "Since you're now in charge of the SOC, I figured that you should," he began before Matt nodded.
"I understand. If Spencer thinks he's got us on the run, he's got another thing coming. We're going to spring those people as soon as we can get re-organized, then we're going to scream from every mountaintop just what exactly Spencer is responsible for. This just got serious," he said before pushing the button. The ground around the former SOC Headquarters imploded as the subterranean facility collapsed. A plume of dirt shot up into the air, almost like a last gasp for the dying facility. "I'm through playing games."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Top secret Detention Center
Location unknown
August 18, 2001 2:21 PM
"How do you plead?" one of the shadowed figures asked Ian.
"Not guilty," he replied with as much dignity as he could muster. He knew that these "tribunals" were nothing more than kangaroo courts. In the hour they had been at the facility, twenty people had already been in "court," and all had been found guilty.
"You are charged with treason, and conspiracy to commit murder. After reviewing the evidence, this tribunal finds you guilty. You are sentenced to death by firing squad. Your sentence will be carried out on August 20th, at 6:35 AM. Send in the next prisoner," the figure said. Ian had spent a grand total of five minutes in front of the people who called themselves "judges," and the evidence against him had amounted to a post-it note that had his name printed on it and a blue magic marker. He had expected this much, of course, but still wasn't prepared for the suddenness of everything that occurred. Umbrella had set a trap for Bush and himself, hoping to get both of them in the same place to capture them at the same time. And what better way to do it than to frame the President for treason, then kidnap him at his only chance to clear his name.
"You're going to be shot before this is over," Ian said as two guards, Umbrella guards no less, led him away.
"Not when we're calling the shots," one of the judges replied before laughing. "To think, you actually believed you could stand against Umbrella. Shows what you know."
"Where are you taking me?" Ian asked as the guards led him down a different corridor than his cell was in.
"If you're quiet, we can get you out of here, like the others," one of the guards whispered. Ian looked up and recognized who the guard was.
"How did you?" he began to ask before the man smiled.
"You, Mr. Williams, have friends in much higher places than you can possibly comprehend. Now let's get you to safety before anyone realizes that the others are gone too," he replied.
"I don't understand," Ian stammered as the man gave a short laugh.
"If I was in your position, I wouldn't either. Trust me when I say I'm a friend." The man opened a door in the rear of the facility, where Ian saw a Humvee idling.
"My friend will get you up to the border. From there, the Humvee is yours to take to your Alpha Site. Good luck, Assistant Director," his liberator said before turning back towards the facility.
"Can I at least know your name?" Ian asked, wanting to at least try and understand what just happened.
"My friends call me John," he replied before the doors closed. Somehow, 'John' had managed to not only escape the Umbrella ambush at the White House with his tape, but also to beat the Umbrella convoy here. And what had he meant by "Higher places than he could possibly comprehend?" All he ended up with were more questions, making his day even more confusing than before.
"Assistant Director, we really are in a pinch for time. Please get in the Humvee," the other man said as Ian took a moment to try and identify him.
"Barry?" he asked as the man nodded. "How were you able to sneak into an Umbrella compound while they've been out trying to kill you?"
"I honestly have no idea, and I don't feel like sticking around to find out," Barry replied with a smile. "Once we get into Canada I'm going to link up with the others. Now let's get out of here before someone notices that you're gone."
"Do you know where we are right now?" Ian asked as he got into the passenger seat. He had a hood placed over his head during the drive up, but he remembered feeling the sun on the left side of his face, indicating that they were traveling North for at least part of the journey.
"Western Pennsylvania. The Humvee has a full tank of gas, and should be able to get us to Canada. Once we're in the clear you'll be able to fill it up," Barry replied as he shifted the vehicle into gear and drove towards the compound's gate. They were waved through without even a second look from the guard, and began heading Northwest towards Canada, and safety.
"Things are about to get very interesting," Ian said, knowing that it was an understatement. "We aren't just going to roll over and die."
"It's time to take the fight to Umbrella," Barry agreed as Ian nodded. 'Take back the United States, defeat an international pharmaceutical company that had more weapons of mass destruction than France and Great Britain combined, and do it with less than two hundred people,' Ian thought, 'piece of cake.'
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Umbrella Incorporated Main Office
August 18, 2001 3:22 PM
"Please repeat what you just told me," Spencer said as he looked at the phone in his hand. "It sounded like you said all of your prisoners escaped, and made it into Canada. It also sounded like you said that not only did your primary targets all escape, but your secondary ones did as well."
"Lord Spencer, by the time we could locate the SOC's Headquarters, it was too late. They destroyed the facility hours before we arrived. The same thing happened with DefTec Industries. Their factory and corporate offices were already burning by the time we got there. If we would've had a little bit longer before the release of the papers we recovered, it might've been a different story," the USF agent on the other end of the line replied. He had just gone through the DefTec offices himself even though the structure was declared unsafe by the fire police, hoping to find something hinting at where they had fled to.
"I understand. You shall be forgiven for your failure this time, but do not allow it to happen again," Spencer said as he placed the phone back in its cradle. "I think we need to put someone else in charge of hunting down our opponents. Mr. Walker, I need you here where you can do the company the most good. I've been looking through the files we have for mercenaries that the American government has been so kind as to provide us, and I believe I've found someone worthy of our time. Please contact her," he added sliding a folder across the desk to Tom. "Make sure she is persuaded to enlist with us."
"I don't think that will be a problem, my Lord. Is there anything else you request of me?" Tom replied as he flipped through the folder quickly.
"Take a handful of security teams and sweep the roofs of the neighboring buildings. I want the bug that's been monitoring my office found and destroyed." Spencer turned his office chair around, and began typing something into his computer. Tom walked out of the office, then took the opportunity to look at the folder again to confirm his suspicions. 'It's really her,' he thought, remembering his only field operation in Afghanistan. The prison uprising had been very chaotic, and he had never like the Russian mercenary very much to begin with. All he believed it would've taken to kill her was a set of misread coordinates for an artillery barrage, but he had underestimated her will to survive. Luckily for him, she had blamed the mishap on the U.S. commander on the scene, even though she neglected the small detail that he didn't have the authority to call in artillery. 'Well Xenia, it seems that we're going to meet again. You might not be so lucky this time.'
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SOC Alpha Site (Current Headquarters)
August 18, 2001 4:37 PM
"So you're Sarena Ba," Matt began as he looked at the unfamiliar
person sitting at the facility's conference table.
"First names only. You may have the proper clearance to know my full name, but not everyone else does," she replied.
"Okay then. I suppose I should welcome you to the SOC. Your background is very impressive, from what I've seen. Of course, most of it is classified even beyone my clearance. I'm looking forward to working with you," Matt said as he extended his hand.
"We'll see," Serena replied, before hesitantly extending her own hand. 'Looks like we aren't starting out on the best foot,' Matt thought to himself. 'I hope I can keep the SOC together long enough to get Ian back. It's time to get back to business.'
"Has everyone made it?" Matt asked as the Team and Group leaders gathered around the conference table, along with the lead members of the support staff. Once all of the leaders were in, Matt had paged them over the facility's PA system, in order to get an accurate count of how many personnel he had available.
"All field operatives are accounted for," Adam said.
"We're all here," Frank Lorenz said, representing the support personnel.
"I'm here," a voice near the door announced. Matt looked up, and had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.
"Ian? How?" was all that he could stammer as Ian walked up to the head of the table. Everyone stood up as a gesture of respect, having feared that they would never see their leader alive again.
"It's a long story. The President, and everyone else that Umbrella took prisoner made it out too. I'm glad to hear that we all made it to the Alpha Site. How about family members? Have they all made it out?" Ian asked.
"Evans closed the borders right after the last of us got across. We don't know how many people made it out and how many are still behind," Matt said as he frowned. He hoped Evans wouldn't order U.S. troops to arrest their families, but with Umbrella really calling the shots, nothing was certain.
"All we can do is hope that they're okay. What about Serena, did she make it here too?" Ian said, shifting the conversation away from the obviously sensitive issue of family members, and getting back to business.
"Reporting for duty, Assistant Director," she replied, snapping off a quick salute which earned her glances from all of the others at the table. Military protocol had been one of the first things to meet the chopping block when the SOC was established. It was obvious to all of the people in the room that Serena was new to the SOC, since she didn't know that.
"Please, call me Ian. And you don't have to salute me since you aren't in the military anymore. Or in the United States, for that matter. Now, I'd like to hear some ideas about how to get our country back," he said as he looked around the room.
"Take out Umbrella's HQ," was the suggestion from Mark. "If we break their base of operations, we can take Spencer and expose Umbrella for what they really are."
"We don't have the manpower to. Even if we armed all of the support personnel, and took the S.T.A.R.S. with us, we'd only have about half the number of security personnel that Umbrella has in the building alone, not counting any B.O.W. surprises. Our immediate concern should be what to do about the test for Umbrella's Alphas. We need to have Sam R. out there," Matt said, making sure to address the right Sam.
"We aren't going to be able to get in through the U.S. armed services, that's for sure. What about Canada?" Paul asked.
"Could we get Teams 7 and 9 into the Canadian armed forces? Umbrella would take troops from Canada, and we could rig it so Sam gets chosen. Then we could have the rest of Team 7 and Team 9 assigned to a carrier as part of a NATO exercise. Sometime right before Sam gets to the island, we could arrange for a fishing boat or something to pick them up, and have them wait off the coast of the island. And if we need to scrub the mission, Sam could call the carrier and tell them that they were on a drug-interdiction mission or something, and need a lift," Serena suggested as if the answer should be obvious.
"I knew hiring you was a good idea," Ian said with a laugh as she frowned. "Let's make it happen people. I also want a plan to start hitting Spencer's facilities on my desk by tomorrow morning. Take the rest of the day and get some rest. Try to find out what happened to your families as well, if you can. Dismissed."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
And that's number 10. As you can see, this chapter earned its title of Aftershocks not once but twice (from the two huge plot twists). I must admit that when I started to write this chapter I intended for it to be slightly different, then remembered a few ideas I had wanted to incorporate earlier in the story, such as the on-the-run aspect.
And how's that for a twist? Umbrella is now, for all intents and purposes, in charge of the United States of America. Is the SOC going to be able to free the country, and restore the legitimate government (Bush, etc.)? And to Rhys D, this is only a small part of what I meant by consequences. All this stuff has happened, and the story isn't even halfway done yet.
Before the question is asked, I'm going to explain where exactly John came from. When the Battle of Shoreline was posted on umbrella-inc.com it got a little bit away from what I intended it to be, and John was my attempt to bring the story back on track (clear up contradictions, etc.) so it wouldn't be so confusing. I know, back in Chapter 2 I said I didn't want any super-human characters, but I also felt that this story needed some continuity between TBoS and O: FS. If it'll make you all feel better, (Warning: Spoiler. Do not read if you don't want to know what's going to happen. To make sure no one accidentally reads it, I'm going to write the spoiler backwards. If you want to read it, then look from right to left), elihW gnoL A roF kcaB eB t'noW eH (end spoiler).
Now that I've got that taken care of, I want to add a few more thoughts. I don't know how it happened, but my teachers decided to be extremely lenient on homework this week, so in 3 nights I was able to write about 7,000 words for this chapter. The first chapter of The Fall of Umbrella is about half-way done, but I haven't worked on it for a week or two (getting this chapter done is my main priority, since it's the only one that anyone's really waiting for). Our school is giving us Friday off to go to the Bloomsburg Fair (I never thought I'd be glad to have a day off from school to go to an event where people get stabbed and/or raped every year but hey, if it means I can get another few thousand words written, so much the better) and of course there's the football game Friday night (the team actually won, and trounced the other team no less, to advance to a record of 1 win and 3 losses), where all of our lives are hanging in the balance (the band sucked the big one last week, so if we aren't amazing on Friday I might not be alive to continue this story). Since this story is my pride and joy, I'm going to go out there and own all to make sure I make it through alive. As always, I'm still happy to take characters (good and bad, or neutral if you want, since I now have a brand new administration in the White House to play with, for the time being). Anyway, on to the real goodies and what I'm sure is the only reason anyone's read the last five hundred plus words, the COMING ATTRACTIONS.
Next time on Operation: Falling S.T.A.R.S.:
The realization that they will now have to fight against the United States finally begins to set in as Spencer celebrates his victory over the SOC. But even as he believes the SOC to be crushed, they are holding a strategy session with the S.T.A.R.S. about how to proceed. The anti-Umbrella effort will get a huge boost when it is revealed that one of Spencer's most- trusted employees has been selling him out all along. Who the insider is (if you read the Resident Evil books you'll know), and what he's going to offer to the S.T.A.R.S. and SOC may turn the tide back into their favor once and for all. Don't miss a second as the action heats up again in Operation: Falling S.T.A.R.S. Chapter 11: Ground Zero